Teal MP Allegra Spender has called on the Coalition and Greens to set aside political differences and support the Labor government’s proposed housing policies. Speaking at the National Press Club on Oct. 23, Spender emphasized the importance of backing bills for rent and shared equity schemes that address real issues faced by individuals and families.
Labor’s efforts to pass the Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills have been met with resistance from the Greens and Coalition in the Senate. The Help to Buy Bill aims to introduce a shared equity scheme to assist low-income individuals and families in entering the housing market, with the government potentially covering up to 40 percent of the purchase price for new homes.
Spender also stressed the need for the Coalition to shift focus from fighting housing targets to finding ways to achieve them. She highlighted the importance of accountability through targets, noting that current housing projections fall short of meeting the country’s needs.
In a separate development, Coalition Leader Peter Dutton proposed incentivizing early retirees to rejoin the workforce to help ease housing demands. Dutton highlighted the potential of leveraging Australia’s available workforce, including individuals who have retired early and are willing to return to work.
Furthermore, Spender emphasized the importance of Labor demonstrating seriousness in addressing issues with the CFMEU by supporting the establishment of a new construction regulator. The CFMEU was placed under administration in August following ongoing complaints, underscoring the need to improve construction practices and productivity to unlock housing supply.
Spender referenced a recent Redbridge survey indicating that a mere 15 percent of Australians believe young people can attain home ownership without family assistance today. She highlighted the concerning statistic that less than 10 percent of Australians believe the standard of living will improve for the next generation, underscoring the stark generational disparity in opportunities.
